Outreach Meeting

Where goeth Interfaith Satellite Shelter Program once the loft is built?

The next Outreach Committee meeting will be held Feb 22 at 7pm in the parish hall.  The focus of the meeting will be the future of our work with the homeless population after ISSP (Interfaith Satellite Shelter Program) comes to an end.  

Special guests will be Ken Cole, the Exec. Director of Homeless Services, Marcus Banuelos who directs the ISSP program, Lucas Wiley, the member of the Homeless Services Board who heads Development, and our own Roland Rebele, also on the Board.  Several  at St. John's who have enjoyed serving and eating with small groups (15 max) of homeless persons are concerned that when the loft is built and people are all fed at the Coral Street location, the personal, relational aspect will be lost.  Members of other churches who share this concern and would like to discuss the matter are also invited to attend this meeting.

Helpful Shop Outreach Grants of $11,700 Have Been Awarded

by Eileen Fernald

What a joyful celebration we had on December 15 at the parish hall where the Episcopal Church Women and the Helpful Shop board of directors honored our faithful and hard-working volunteers and capable, talented shop manager Pam Rhodes at a gala holiday tea.  Because the Helpful Shop had such a successful year, we were able to make 22 awards totaling $11,700 to the following groups:

• California Grey Bears, $600;
  

• Diversity Center senior project, $300;
  

• Homeless Service Center, $1,400;
  

• Janus of Santa Cruz, $300;
  

• Mid-County Senior Center, $500;
  

• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, $500;
  

• Native Animal Rescue, $400; New Horizons School, $1,000;
  

• Not This Time Vets, $400;
  

• Santa Cruz County Vets Center, $400;
  

• St. Francis Soup Kitchen, $500;
  

• St. John’s for new parish hall tables, $500;
  

• Daughters of the King prayer shawls, $200;
  

• New Horizons School lunch program, $750;
  

• St. John’s Sunday School program. $250;
  

• Family Services Association senior outreach program, $500;
  

• Volunteer Center Adopt-a-family program, $250;
  

• WomenCare, $600;
  

• Victim/Offender Reconciliation Project, Salinas, $400;
  

• Santa Maria Urban Mission, San Jose, $500;
  

• Women’s Empowerment network, Nicaragua, $1,000;
  

• Kateri Medical Clinic, Nigeria, $750.
  

As long as there is room, The Helpful Shop always appreciates your donations of clean clothing and household goods to further our community ministry.

ECW meetings are planned

by Suzanne Krakover-Nickel

     All women in the parish are invited to a pot-luck luncheon in the parish hall on Wednesday, February 7 at noon for a time of sharing, sisterhood and sustenance.  The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) welcomes all who choose to join us.

In March we will meet on Wednesday, the 7th at 7 p.m. at the home of Virginia Lupfer. Questions?  Call me.

Have you picked up your box of Offertory Envelopes?

Although the vast majority of the boxes have been claimed, there are still some sitting on the table, waiting to go to a good home.  If you have not yet picked yours up – even if you don’t intend to use them -  please do so a.s.a.p.